In the following essay, Barnes provides several definitions of black humor, placing it in social and historical context, with special emphasis on the work of Kurt Vonnegut.

The product is labeled “Black Humor,” and below are examples of the term's usage:

None of these new writers has yet stamped a unique signature on the times. They are rogue talents, unpredictable, disturbing, and powerfully individual. Thus they form no cohesive school or even a wave. Nonetheless, critics of late have taken to calling them “black humorists,” which is probably as good a tag as any.